14 Oct 2019
Swiss National Museum debuts exhibition in renovated west wing
BY Andy Knaggs
An overview of Swiss craftsmanship dating back a thousand years of history has gone on display at the Swiss National Museum in Zurich, with the opening of a new exhibition in the building's newly renovated west wing.
The Collection is stage-managed by Atelier Brückner and is set across a number of rooms that have great historical interest themselves, giving an overview of Swiss home decor from the 15th to the 17th century.
"The challenge is the existing historical structure," said Luca Tori, head exhibition curator at the museum. "The rooms themselves are the exhibit."
2,000sq m (21,500sq ft) of exhibition space is used to display more than 7,000 exhibits, ranging from the sacred palm donkey of the 11th century, up to a noble Valentino costume from 2014.
Atelier Brückner says it has created scenography that conceives the exhibits and the rooms together, making a "readable" historic ensemble. For example, in the 16th century Rosenburg Room, there are 17th and 18th-century model ovens on display, alongside an oven that has historically been in the room.
Every room brings a new variety that is designed to renew visitors' attention. In the 1585 Sala Pestalozzi, the floor has been designed with a reflective surface in order to draw the eye to the room's magnificent ceiling. Lochmann Hall includes paper figurines designed by Belgian artist Isabelle de Borchgrave, telling the stories of people whose portraits adorn a frieze that goes around the room.
A connecting room features a circular showcase displaying more than 1,500 finger rings from Egypt to the present day, while another connecting room has a reproduction of a Romanesque wooden ceiling from St Martin's church in Zillis, with the grid pattern from this projected onto the wall.
The renovation of these rooms was managed by architects Christ & Gantenbein.
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